Methacton board discusses lights, turf renovations

WORCESTER — Methacton School Board held an open meeting to discuss the developments and potential $4.5 million cost for improvements to the high school athletic fields on Tuesday evening.

The meeting covered many new developments, including a recommended concept of renovation titled Concept K. This $4.5 million concept was developed after more than 13 proposals and re-evaluations of the high school campus.

Concept K provides two softball fields, a multi-purpose turf field with lights, a turf football stadium, and storm water management for the entire campus. The concept also possesses the ability to add or subtract alternative ideas while keeping the core ideas intact, making the price tag far from final.

“Depending on if the bids come out unexpectedly low, or unexpectedly high, we have many alternate adds and many potential deducts,” David Horn, Principal with Architerra, said in defense of the project’s expensive estimation. “Under the circumstances that the bids come in high and we start doing deductions, you can always implement certain things years down the road.”

Architerra, a private company of architects and engineers as well as creator of Concept K, have taken over the process of finding the necessary contractors to bring their concept to life.

However, there are many steps standing in the way of the renovations Architerra, as well as the school board, wish to implement.

To date, Architerra awaits the scheduling of a conditional use hearing with the Worcester Township. While they are optimistic this meeting will take place sometime in the next six months, no date has been set and there is a small possibility the meeting will take longer than six months to schedule.

If the township grants permission to Architerra to begin renovations, then Architerra will then begin a four week bidding period, where they will try to find the lowest price for the highest grade of workmanship.

Approval from the township is unlikely, according to Worcester resident and attendant of township and school board meetings Kyle Allebach.

“They’re going to get a lot of grief from Worcester, I’ve been to township meetings,” says Allebach, a graduate of Methacton High School. “From what I’ve gathered, the board of directors of Worcester is completely against the turf project and hemmed and hawed for the lights going in; they’re probably going to stop the turf field. I know a lot of people in Worcester that don’t want to see the turf setting put in.”

Allebach believes the lack of support from the township is a result of many residents wanting to keep the community the way it is, and don’t welcome the multi-million dollar tax commitment the project entails.

Despite the skepticism from the community, Horn remains optimistic this project can get done quickly.

“The township is going to put us through our paces, but we’ve been meeting with the periodically to work out details and been going through the process to get the best possible submittal to the township in a timely manner,” Horn said.

Horn finds it unlikely that the township would completely oust the renovation plans.

“It’s a rare possibility that some form of a project doesn’t get approved by a municipality, it’s very rare in my 35 years,” Horn said. “It’s just a matter of what the ultimate approved project will be.”

If the approval process goes smoothly, Horn believes the project could be ready as early as next summer.

“Right now I’m optimistic, I’m still holding hope that even if it takes six months to get through the approval process, that would allow us to begin bids in the winter months which allows bids to come in by the end of February and would allow renovations to begin in the spring. I still hope that a reality is to have the fields ready by next year,” Horn said.

Questions, comments and concerns pertaining to the renovations can be directed toward the Methacton Turf and Lights page under the link Project Questions or Concerns.